In the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge the moose population has increased a whopping 400-fold since the early 1990s, from just a handful a few decades ago to about 2,000 animals now. The reason appears clear: climate change.
Maine is home to the largest moose population in the lower 48 states. But in one of the moosiest corners of the state, nearly 90% of the calves tracked by biologists last winter didn’t survive their first year.
Vermont Fish and Wildlife officials hope to sustain a healthier moose population within the northeast corner of the state by approving 100 hunting permits.
Winter tick infestation is common with moose across the northern U.S. — usually survivable for adults but less so for calves, and miserable either way. And climate change may make it worse, scientists report.
